


Old Town Blues

by Makimono



Series: Of Seasons and Colors [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Family Drama, Female Protagonist, Fluff and Angst, POV Third Person, Post-Time Skip, Slow Romance, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:13:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28110705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makimono/pseuds/Makimono
Summary: Shortly after returning to Japan, the heiress of MSBY Motor Corporation attends the grand opening party of her family’s new subsidiary. She doesn’t see herself as a bird in a cage but more of a business deal; her mother never stops searching for the perfect in-laws while her busy father doesn’t seem to care about what’s going on behind the scenes.As the day almost comes to an end, she stumbles upon a group of players from MSBY Black Jackals, a professional male volleyball team owned by her company. Their first meeting is embarrassingly cut short, but one of them leaves a bold mark that makes her think about him all the way home and days afterward.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Reader
Series: Of Seasons and Colors [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/564230
Comments: 13
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the discounted version of Crazy Rich Asians featuring my new favorite team, MSBY! Also, Atsumu is hot and hilarious as hell, so there’s no way I’m not writing about him. 😘
> 
> Please use [InteractiveFics](https://interactivefics.tumblr.com/download) to change every F/N and L/N to your own name.
> 
> Happy reading! I hope you like this story!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Source.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Minneapolis/comments/a4iq8f/felt_inspired_to_make_a_night_time_mobile/)

* * *

About three hundred people in formal attire attended the grand opening party of Konen, the new electric cars division of MSBY Motor Corporation. Alongside the buffet tables of elegant appetizers and beverages, several shiny cars and cold-colored balloons filled the second floor of the four-story headquarters located in Nagoya. A jazz band assembled in the intersection of the two wings, playing some relaxing background music that could be heard throughout the hallway that stretched longitudinally for more than a hundred meters.

In one of the restrooms, F/N fixed the emerald earrings that had gotten too tight and irritated her skin. She didn’t quite like the way she looked; a deep green embroidered midi dress and classic updo hair made her appear older than her age, but her mother had picked everything. _Trust what I say_ , her mother would always say, and her demands afterward were absolute. The only thing she could do to console herself was believing in those who had called her beautiful, although half of them might be lying.

Once stepping out, she found her mother meandering around, looking agitated as if someone was hunting her down. With a black lace dress and cream jacket, her mother was more prepossessing than her peers. Her maturity was evident—she looked to be in her fifties, even with heavy makeup that covered most of her wrinkles—but her patrician vibe was something that not everyone could emit. People would know that she wasn’t someone who would speak to just about anybody who dared to approach her.

Her mother rushed toward her as soon as she saw her. “Where have you been? I told you not to leave my sight!” she raised her voice that fortunately, wasn’t loud enough to bother the people around them.

“Huh? I just went to the restroom,” F/N said, slightly pouting at the exchange.

“You could have told me! I was looking everywhere for you! You didn’t even pick your phone!” her mother got angrier with every word out of her burned orange lips.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I set my phone to silent mode. You were busy talking to your friends, so I didn’t want to be rude and interrupt,” F/N still attempted to explain calmly.

Her mother heaved a sigh that was too dramatic for someone who clearly had done nothing wrong. “Forget it. Just follow me. The Renzou family have arrived,” she said before turning around, and F/N took the chance to roll her eyes.

It had always been this way since she could barely chew a grain of cooked rice, so F/N wasn’t too upset about the way she was treated. The Renzou family was, of course, the conglomerate behind Renzou Holdings, Japan’s biggest petroleum corporation. _Many family friends will come to the grand opening party, including the Renzous. I want you to get to know their only son. He’s around your age and has been working as a finance director at their Tokyo branch._ She couldn’t forget her mother’s speech two days ago during breakfast because of how repetitive it was.

She hadn’t met the Renzous in a long time, but she remembered them as a group of one father, one mother, an adult son, and a teenage daughter who might have taken her brother’s advice in dressing up. It wasn’t a jibe at anyone but herself. She would kill to be able to wear trousers and flats and have her hair as short as the Renzou’s youngest child. Too bad, her mother would disown her before she could even enter their house with something that wasn’t considered ladylike.

“Look at how pretty you’ve become, F/N! I can’t believe that the last time I saw you was when you were in elementary school,” the father said with a broad smile. He looked like a normal family man who had worked too much hence the heavy bags under his eyes. Other than that, he seemed very amiable.

His wife beside him chuckled as she inspected F/N from head to toe. “You’ve become a little too beautiful. You’re just like your mother when she was your age. How long has it been since you moved to London? Fifteen years?”

“Thank you, Renzou-san. That’s very nice for you to say. I think it’s been ten years instead of fifteen,” F/N answered.

“It’s closer to eleven years, including the time she spent receiving her master’s degree from London Business School,” F/N’s mother added. She didn’t need to mention the last part, but the Renzous weren’t the first family of the evening to have heard the same sentence. It was clear that she did it on purpose to emphasize the fact that her daughter _has received_ a world-class education, something that many other spoiled kids didn’t bother doing since they could just ask their father for the best position in their companies. F/N had memorized the pattern.

“Of course! I’ve seen the graduation pictures your mother posted two weeks ago. Congratulations on your achievement, F/N. If only my children could be like yours, but they’re as hopeless as someone could get,” lady Renzou said, accomplishing F/N’s mother’s goal for free. From the peripherals of her eyes, F/N could see the distaste on the children’s faces, but anyone would have felt the same way when their mother gave a derogatory statement about them.

“Don’t say that. Your kids are capable enough to stand by themselves. I’m sure one day they can take over the corporation without any problem,” F/N’s mother cooed before glancing at the son. “Daiki, you seem well too. What about spending some time with F/N? The two of you used to attend the same elementary school. Maybe you can catch up with one another.”

“Sure. I don’t mind,” the son, Daiki, said with a voice that was deeper than F/N had anticipated. He pushed his glasses up before looking at her. “Let’s grab some drink.”

“Okay,” F/N kindly replied, following the guy not because she wanted to, but because she didn’t have a choice. Refusing would ruin the delightful atmosphere between the two families and the worst of all, cause her mother to grumble about it for weeks.

She wasn’t planning on consuming too much alcohol, but one more glass of Calpis cocktail wouldn’t hurt anyone. As she picked her drink from the table, she began scrutinizing the man beside her. He was average looking and a bit shorter than her, who wore a pair of heels. It was obvious that their parents wanted something to spark between them tonight, but after being surrounded by giants for more than a decade, it felt a little weird to stand next to someone so tiny. But if he turned out to be a nice person, she wouldn’t mind spending some time talking to him.

“So, F/N. What have you been doing lately?” Daiki asked after sipping his own cocktail.

“Nothing much. I haven’t been home in years, so I’m still adapting back to life around here. I’ll think of something soon,” F/N said.

“I heard that you rarely went back to Japan because you liked it so much there, yet here you are, going home right after graduating. Care to explain why?”

“There’s nothing much to say about it. My parents didn’t allow me to find a job there because, according to them, they could give me a better job at MSBY, so they forced me to go back home. I’m not one to rebel, especially when my mother constantly called me every single day.” She gave a sour smile, hoping he would empathize with her story.

“I’m glad that you have that lovely trait that most youths don’t have nowadays.” His response came as a shock as her smile disappeared. “Don’t you think it would be hell to have a rebellious partner? My dream wife would be the one who stays at home and properly raises our children, just like what my mother and grandmother did. I think it’s beautiful and righteous. There’s also nothing that beats homemade food,” he said before laughing.

That was a long bold strike. If his face were a paper, then she would have scribbled on it, perhaps while screaming, _“Is this how your mother raised you? No wonder she’s good friends with mine! And your sister might be depressed!”_ He could be the most wonderful thing that came out of this party tonight—she would be thrilled to befriend someone who might understand her feelings—but poor her, he had to fill in another reason she should call this day the worst of the week.

“My stomach hurts,” she said. “Will you excuse me?”

“Are you all right? Should I call your mother?”

“ _Why_ would you call my mother? Do you call yours when you’re about to poo? What for? To help you flush?” She couldn’t handle it anymore and let it out at him. He seemed surprised and confused by her sudden rant, but she didn’t care. Even her mother never told her to stop working once she got married because being a housewife was more “righteous” than anything else, but maybe she just hadn’t done it.

Ignoring Daiki’s appalled look, F/N put her cocktail on the table and walked away. She looked around and realized that her mother had gone off somewhere, presumably because she had found new people to boost her ego. She saw her father chattering with some distant relatives that would always come during big events like pigeons that flocked around pieces of stale bread, so she hastened her way to the quieter area of the hallway before anyone could trap her. Just for once, she needed a moment of peace.

The elevator brought her to the first floor, where the only occupants were some security guards. When seeing the vast yet empty entryway, her chest felt so light, but the solitude wouldn’t last for more than ten minutes; she was sure her mother would be looking for her soon and would easily track her because some people saw her getting into the elevator. Should she fake out an illness so she could leave early? Perhaps not, because that would only mean a hospital visit and huge trouble if she was found to be lying.

She halted her movement and hid behind a pillar when shadows of people came out of one room. What she did was actually foolish. Her family owned this building, so she had the utmost right to do anything she wanted. Her father wouldn’t get _that_ mad either if she accidentally destroyed a precious car. Still, she was too afraid of losing the ten-minute privilege of being alone if they turned out to be her aunts, uncles, cousins, or some crazier version of family friends.

“Is this real? I still can’t believe that we’re invited here!” A robust voice echoed through the hallway. She breathed out a sigh of relief because nobody close to her family would say such a humble thing.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Bokuto. We’re only here because of the senior advisor,” a calmer man replied in a mumble. If it weren’t for the lack of people around, she wouldn’t be able to hear him well.

“Why are you so stiff, Omi-kun?” said another man in Kansai dialect—this triggered her a little. “It’s a party, so you better take off that mask.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Uh, scary…!”

“Guys, come here! This showroom looks so chic! It’s the best we’ve seen so far!” This time, the one who spoke sounded more like a teenage boy. She knew which place they were talking about; it must be the room that kept the special edition cars that would be announced in about two weeks. Generally, only less than five people could own each one of them.

“Wow, you’re right, Hinata!” The first man, whose name was apparently Bokuto, said. His voice somehow became hoarse when he got excited. “Can we get in? Oh no, there’s a fingerprint lock. Hey, but it also has a keypad on it! We can try some combinations!”

“But what will happen if we fail, say… five times? Will the security alarm turn on and ruin the party above?”

“We’ll never know until we do it,” the one who used Kansai dialect joined the discussion. “Let’s see… It’s a new building, so try one-two-three-four-five.”

“Are you dumb?” asked the person called Omi. It most likely was a nickname that was too adorable for the gang’s most sensible guy.

“What? Do you have a better guess?”

“That’s clearly not the point.”

“Are you implying that what we’re currently doing is borderline vandalism?”

“I didn’t even say anything remotely close to that.”

“Omi-kun, this is why you don’t have friends outside of us!”

“Huh?!”

“Miya-san, one-two-three-four-five didn’t work!” the youthful guy happily announced.

“Of course it didn’t!” Omi groaned louder than ever. “No, Hinata. Don’t you even think of trying five zeroes.”

F/N couldn’t keep it quiet any longer. She cackled with laughter and left the pillar, but instead of surprising them, she was the one widening her eyes. Who would have thought that she would find three tall men and one not-so-tall-but-definitely-more-than-Daiki? Not only they were towering over her, but they were also very well-built. None of the men her mother had introduced to her today looked as fine as them. It would be cryptic if they were regular office workers who got invited by whichever advisor they were referring to before.

“Are you one of the staff?” Hinata, who appeared to be an orange-haired guy and the shortest one, asked, fear crossed his face, which was silly since a second ago he didn’t care for breaking into a locked room. “I can explain, Miss! There wasn’t a lot to do at the party, so we decided to look around the building. We’re sorry if it’s—”

“Don’t worry. I’m one of the managers who also got bored with the party. Do you want to get in?” she cut in with a smile.

“Eh…? Really?” Hinata looked hesitant.

“Yes. Don’t mind it.” She walked to the keypad and inputted the code, covering her fingers with her other hand so the men behind her wouldn’t remember the digits. Nobody had told her about it, but she had snuck into her father’s home office out of boredom and read it written on one of the papers on his desk. This would also be her first time pretending to be a manager to anyone. She would be lying if she said it wasn’t fun.

The men were in awe as soon as they stepped into the showroom, and they only got louder after she turned all the lights on. There were only six cars displayed inside, but they were far more lavish than the ones paraded at the party. From their reactions, she finally knew which one of them was speaking before. Besides Hinata, Bokuto was the silver-haired man and most ripped. “Omi-kun” wore a white surgical mask that didn’t match his deep blue suit, but she could tell that he was very handsome with curly hair and broad shoulders. He was also the tallest among them.

When she looked at the one who spoke in Kansai dialect, she didn’t expect him to be smirking at her. She heard his name was Miya, and it was confirmed when the rest kept calling him as such. He dyed his undercut hair blonde and nicely styled it so the tips would be wavy. It was pleasant looking at his idol-like face—she couldn’t describe it properly, but the more time she spent with these people, the more she wondered about their real identities. Could they actually be models hired to promote Konen’s products?

“You look awfully young to be a manager.” She had been doing nothing but standing near the automatic door when Miya came to her. “Where are you from?” he asked.

“Osaka,” she said. Even with short sentences coming out of her lips, she had figured he would notice their similar way of speaking since the beginning.

“Nice! I’m from Kobe, but my team is based in Osaka,” he explained.

“What team?”

“We’re players from Black Jackals, a professional volleyball team owned by MSBY.”

Her eyes fluttered a few times before her mouth formed a big “o” as everything came together. She was familiar with the only male volleyball team under his company that was established more than half a century ago. The full history of how the team was set up was something that she wouldn’t bother reading since she was never into sports, but at least she didn’t just allow total creeps inside one of the most expensive rooms in the district. She also knew which advisor was responsible for inviting these four men.

“Well, I hope you enjoy sightseeing around,” she continued, giving another smile. “If I may know, do you go to a lot of our parties? I thought they didn’t care about inviting non-employees.”

“Pfft, no. This is the first because we just had a tournament in the city. The senior advisor got us in.”

She raised her brows. “A tournament? Really? Aren’t you supposed to be resting then?”

Before he had the chance to answer, the door behind them was opened, stopping everyone in the room from doing their things as they turned toward F/N’s mother who watched them furiously. “Seriously?” she asked, eyes piercing into F/N’s. “I left you alone for a moment, and look at where you are! Who are even these people?”

“They’re from Black Jackals, our company’s volleyball team,” F/N answered, not knowing what else to say.

“Volley—what? So you couldn’t stand a minute with the Renzou son, but you’re letting these struggling athletes into this private showroom? Are you out of your mind?”

That was as shameful as it could get, so F/N quickly dashed toward her mother and grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry. Let’s talk somewhere else, okay?”

“Struggling athletes?” Miya suddenly spoke up and chuckled, but it wasn’t for long before he shot the older woman a contemptuous glare. “Right… but at least we know how it feels like to _struggle_.”

There was a long silence that followed the clapback. Even Omi lost his composure and looked astounded by how courage—or thoughtless—his friend was. F/N herself tried to maintain her posture, although the men who were facing her should be able to notice the way she started chewing her lips. She was _dying_ to burst out laughing. How long had it been since the last time someone was brave enough to defy her mother right in front of her pretty face? She couldn’t remember, so probably the answer was that it never happened.

“What’s your name?” her mother asked after a while. The difference between her tone before and now was like heaven and earth, but the softer she became, the more threatening it was.

“Miya Atsumu. What’s yours?”

F/N bit her lips harder. _Don’t laugh. Please. Your mother is going to slap you if you do. You don’t have to defend her, but please just keep it in,_ she couldn’t stop telling herself. Thankfully, her mother didn’t retort and immediately left the showroom. The fact that she wasn’t dragged outside wasn’t proof that she could hang around any longer here. It only meant that Atsumu, this quirky yet somehow amazing man, had stepped over the devil’s line and officially become someone that her mother would never forget.

“You’re having too much fun, huh? If only you could see the look on your mother’s face,” he said afterward, a grin never left his face.

“You’re crazy. Leave this showroom now, and please turn the lights off for me,” she requested before joining her mother who had been waiting for her near the elevator. Honestly, she hadn’t felt this amused in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for not changing the way Atsumu speaks in Kansai dialect (I’m aware the translations are using ‘yer and stuff). I can barely write in English, so it’d only make it harder for me. ;_;


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did it take so long for me to update this short chapter? I don’t even know myself. 😂

* * *

“Miya Atsumu? Ah, he does speak without a filter, but he’s one of our most talented players. Don’t mind him that much,” said one of MSBY’ managing executive officers, who also happened to be Black Jackals’ senior advisor. F/N remembered him well since he had worked for the company for more than four decades, and her father saw him as a close friend. A long time ago, she overheard them talk about the volleyball team he would soon manage.

“Just because he’s a talented person, it doesn’t mean that he can forget his manners, especially when speaking to older people,” her mother said, folding her arms. “I wouldn’t want to coach somebody like that.”

The senior advisor laughed. “I’ll talk to the kid later on. Please forgive the things he said, all right?”

Her mother grunted before walking away, and she understood what it meant; her mother expected the senior advisor to justify her anger by badmouthing Atsumu. Instead of saying, _Atsumu is just that kind of person_ , she wanted him to talk about how Atsumu was wrong for disrespecting her and should apologize right this very instant. If only the struggling trash weren’t a useful member of the team, he would have terminated his contract. When she didn’t hear what she wanted, of course she wouldn’t waste more time around.

The tickling in F/N’s stomach hadn’t completely disappeared, but at least she was safe from bursting into laughter and causing another scene. The fact that her mother immediately looked for the senior advisor to complain about the little accident instead of meeting with the Renzous or some other people was pathetic and at the same time, very entertaining. Once in a while, she looked around in the hope of seeing the four men again, but it wasn’t like they were able to chat.

“What’s with you and Daiki?” Her mother stopped by one of the tables, taking a glass of _umetini,_ and glanced at her. “Why is it that you seem to hate everyone in this country? Did those foreigners alter your mind into looking down on your own race?”

“That isn’t it, Mom,” she said. “Out of nowhere, Renzou-san told me that he prefers an obedient woman as a wife, and how women are supposed to stay at home and raise the children. It took me by surprise, so I excused myself to the restroom.”

Her mom sipped the drink. “Is that all? Why did he tell me that you were shouting nonsense at him?”

 _Is that all?_ Her mother wanted the senior advisor to defend her, yet she couldn’t do the same to her daughter and the modern women in general. Maybe that was it. Her mother was too archaic to comprehend her pain. She clenched both of her hands and imagined the things those four volleyball players would say if they heard this. It wasn’t right for her to glorify people she barely knew, but she was sure that unlike the magnates in designer clothing surrounding her, those men bore logic and sensibility. On the other hand, she was also pissed at Daiki for snitching on her.

“Never mind. Let’s go to the Renzous,” her mother said.

“Wait, Mom. I don’t want to be with their son anymore. I can’t—I’m exhausted. Please. I won’t ask for anything else,” she begged. It wasn’t all that she felt because her feet had been hurting, and her close-fitting dress surely had left some marks around her ribs. She chose to skip the additional complaints because her mother would only ridicule her for being immature.

“You haven’t apologized to Daiki,” her mother’s tone turned menacing. “You’ve embarrassed our family for running away and yelling at him like that. We aren’t going home until you properly apologize.”

If her mother were normal, then she would have said that it wasn’t entirely her fault. Quietly, they walked to the family who was still hanging out as a group, but now each one of them had a drink in their hands. Her mother whispered, coercing her into saying that the reason she left Daiki was that she wasn’t feeling well. If by chance any of them knew she went to the first floor, she must tell them that she was trying to get some fresh air. For their family’s pride, every tale must be beautifully orchestrated.

“F/N, you’re back! Are you feeling any better?” Lady Renzou asked. F/N didn’t care about finding out what Daiki had told these people, but there was a sense of relief in her when his mother’s smile was still as warm as before.

“Yes. Thank you,” F/N replied before looking at Daiki. “Renzou-san, please forgive my rudeness during our previous talk. I wasn’t feeling well.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad nothing worse happened to you.” Daiki smiled. He wasn’t a bad person per se, but neither was he a person that F/N would share her deepest thoughts with. Even if he turned out to be the most caring and generous man on earth, she would still pick somebody more broad-minded.

“Thank you for understanding,” she continued, just to put a closure to their conversation.

“Let’s hang out some other time.” He took his phone out of his trousers’ side pocket and lifted it. “Please give me your ID.”

She laughed, but her soul was about to cry. Maybe it was the loss of her fortitude, but she believed he deliberately asked it in front of the whole family so she couldn’t refuse. It was a simple wish that anyone who had met her could attain, so he was artful and disgusting at the same time. With a forced smile that she had mastered from staying by her mother’s side, she grabbed his phone, added herself, and gave it back. Later this night, she swore she would create a new account to get away from him and every annoying person in this building.

“Do you have any plans for the weekend?” he asked after checking his phone, presumably making sure that she hadn’t given him a random person’s ID. Everything he did got creepier and creepier in her eyes, and there was no turning back from it.

“No,” she answered, not being able to lie because her mother would know and correct her.

“Great. I’ll text you later.”

“Ahahaha… Okay…” she said while looking everywhere but him, hoping that somebody or something else would save her. If only one of these expensive cars could explode without fatally wounding anyone but enough to send them home.

Approximately an hour and two long higher-ups’ speeches later, the party ended on a good note. She and her mother met up with her father, who had been busy with his world for most of the party, and they let the guests leave before them. It wasn’t hard to find Atsumu and his friends for one more time when they towered over everyone else. More people of the same build were with them, and F/N knew that a volleyball team wouldn’t consist of only four players.

She still dreamed for another meeting. Even a small farewell would be hilarious if it came from their unified chaos, but it was just wishful thinking when she had to pretend to care for her parents’ convoluted discussion about stock trading. Within seconds, the volleyball team were already gone alongside the sea of people who queued in front of the limited number of elevators. There wasn’t even a romantic moment where she glanced at them, and one of them noticed it and smiled back at her.

The short walk to the parking lot was quiet, so it soothed her heart. Her parents were friendly to the chauffeur that brought them to the hotel where they would stay for one night before going back home in the morning. They cracked some jokes about how ironic it was for the owner of an automotive manufacturer to rent their own car from a third-party service, but F/N was too sick of their voices to give away a reaction. Instead of considering it as funny, she thought it was corny and boastful.

“Dear, I introduced our daughter to Renzou Daiki. They got along pretty well,” F/N’s mother began, obviously improving the actual story. She would act like the clash never happened because the goal of marrying two rich heirs had blinded her from reality.

“That’s nice,” her father nonchalantly replied.

“Yes. They’ve exchanged numbers. He might ask her out on a date next weekend.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

Her mother’s follow-up after being ignored by her detached father would be to speak to her, so F/N quickly closed her eyes and leaned her head against the car seat. If her mother tried to wake her up, she could say that they had been through a long day that drained her energy. Her mother wouldn’t be crazy enough to scold someone who wanted to get some rest on the road. Her father and even the chauffeur would have her back if something that stupid happened inside the car.

The ride took about thirty minutes, but she wasn’t fully asleep when her parents couldn’t stop reviewing the party and the people they met as if none of it occurred under an hour ago. She was thrilled when leaving the car and entering a five-star hotel set above one of Japan’s biggest departments stores. Since her parents were together, she was finally left alone after hours of being monitored. It still didn’t mean that she could be too loud when their rooms were next to each other.

“Breakfast is at eight. Don’t be late,” her mother said in the hallway.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Don’t stay up. Go to bed immediately after cleaning yourself.”

“Please don’t be afraid of me being late, Mom. You have the keycard to my room, right?” she asked with a sneer before getting into her room, ignoring whatever her mother’s reaction might be. _You have full access to my room, so you can just barge in to wake me up_ , was what she should have said had she not carried a single fear of getting into a fight in public.

After taking a hot shower and finding out that, indeed, there were some red dents on her chest, back, waist, and arms, she jumped into the bed and took a long deep breath. It felt like the most comfortable mattress she had ever laid her back on that straightened up her twisted spine and removed the fatigue accumulated in her limbs. She stared at the ceiling for some time before recalling the interactions she and her mother had with those volleyball players.

She wanted to know more about them, so she grabbed the phone charging on the nightstand and started searching for their team on the internet. The first result was from MSBY’s official website, so she clicked on it and smiled upon seeing the page. Atsumu didn’t tell a single lie. All of their profiles that consisted of a headshot, position, weight, height, birth date, hometown, and previous school were listed there. In total, the ones she met were only four out of twenty-two players.

Sakusa Kiyoomi, Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou, and Atsumu Miya. She memorized their names, but of course, Atsumu was the one who caught her attention the most. He was a year older than her and almost a hundred and ninety centimeters tall. Some old articles stated that he didn’t attend university and got scouted by MSBY Black Jackals right after high school graduation. He had known Kiyoomi and Koutarou since middle school and Shouyo since high school, but he was the closest to Kiyoomi since they were from the same grade.

He had a younger twin brother named Osamu, who owned an onigiri shop in Kobe. Every time the reporters remarked on their closeness, he always denied it and said that they only appeared to get along since they had no other siblings. Two years ago, he criticized Osamu’s onigiri during a post-match interview, stating that Osamu’s new avocado filling, which was created for vegans, was beyond disgusting nobody should ever stop eating meat. That caused a major controversy until he had to make an apology post.

The post brought F/N to his official social media accounts. Most likely, a publicist was the one managing his Twitter and Facebook since they were full of announcements—or he was just too lazy to do anything with them—but he was active on Instagram. There were less than fifty pictures, and a third of them were his face. He was handsome, even more in person than any of these photographs could capture. She didn’t know a better way to describe his face other than how incredible and happy he looked.

She wondered if he had a girlfriend, so she jumped back to the search engine and typed “Miya Atsumu’s girlfriend”. Athletes weren’t as famous as celebrities unless if they dated one. It was understandable if there was no record about their romances, but she still felt some comfort when she couldn’t find any relevant news about a girl. So she spent the next twenty minutes going through every picture on his Instagram, carefully reading the captions and a few top comments that usually were from the other players.

“Heh… What am I doing?” she muttered to herself when she realized that she had gotten too overly attached to someone she just met. In this day and age, of course she had gone through somebody’s profile out of curiosity, but she never cared if they already had a partner or not. She never checked on everything they had posted like what she did for Atsumu either.

Half of her wanted to stop doing whatever she was doing, but the other half reminded her that it wasn’t midnight yet. It was clear which side she lost herself to as she rolled to the other side of the bed and let her fingers keep on scrolling and tapping. She laughed when there was a video of him playing table tennis and accidentally smacking the ball against Bokuto’s face. Last Christmas, he brought Osamu, their parents, and grandmother to a ski resort in Niseko. It was lovely seeing him as a family man.

Another ten minutes brought her to reading reviews about Onigiri Miya that was only fifteen minutes away by train from her house in Osaka. The shop opened in late-2014, so a few months after they graduated from high school. As identical twins, they very much looked like one another, but Osamu’s smile was softer. He seemed calmer and more mature than her brother. If she continued investigating Osamu’s life, would she find more information about Atsumu?

She felt guilty about doing it, so she decided to follow Atsumu’s Instagram and call it a day. Her account was set to private and only had less than five hundred followers—all were those she personally knew. One good thing about her parents was that they never flaunted their wealth on the internet. They preferred to keep their lives secluded to not attract people without clear backgrounds that could be nothing more than fortune hunters. Atsumu himself had more than three hundred thousand followers.

Just when she was about to turn off the lights and sleep, she received a message from Daiki. It was a simple _“hi, what are you doing? I hope you sleep well tonight”_ , but she groaned and swiped away the notification. Rather than making a new account, she would buy a new phone; one for the old friends and family members that she would rarely use, and the other for her personal safe haven. If someone asked about it, she would say that she needed a better phone to play video games or take sharper pictures.

Before she closed her eyes, she looked at Atsumu’s Instagram once more. It hadn’t been a minute since she pressed the button. She would be one among thousands of people who might follow him on a daily basis, but she wished he would notice her as that woman from the showroom. She changed her profile picture that she hadn’t touched in years into one that showed her entire face without any strange filter or coverage. For one last time, she stared at his newest self-portrait, thinking to herself of how good-looking he really was.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for another slow update. I was busy writing something else, but I was done with it. Hopefully, I could update this story faster.

* * *

Just like many people living in this day and age, the very first thing F/N did after waking up was unlocking her phone. She would usually look through all her social media accounts for any significant news or hilarious cat videos, but this morning, she went right to Instagram for one reason only. Her heart skipped a beat when she found out that Atsumu had requested to follow her back. The excitement made her rise from the bed—something she rarely did unless if her mother had coerced her.

 _He remembers me!_ she told herself as she squeezed her phone and tried not to squeak out of joy like a moron. She accepted him and checked if he had posted any new pictures. It didn’t disappoint her to see none since he only did it occasionally, but he had uploaded one Story from Konen’s grand opening party. Somebody photographed him standing near the curtain wall with a glass of wine in his hand and a cheeky grin on his face. Alcohol must haven’t influenced her last night because he still looked as good as how she recalled it.

Would it be impudent if she greeted him first? He only followed less than two hundred people, and as a professional athlete, he surely had known more than that. That said, most of them should be those who he regarded as more than acquaintances. The fact that he wanted to follow her back practically confirmed that he didn’t mind a further interaction with her. There was also a chance that he might be looking for her profile as well, considering she didn’t leave any likes or comments that would make him notice her right away.

Her train of thought was interrupted when her door was opened by none other than her mother. “You’re awake. Good. What are you doing standing still like that? Go wash up.” The brabble gave her a slight headache, so she could only sigh. The clock on her phone showed that it was barely past seven. She didn’t expect the intrusion for another half hour, but it wouldn’t be her mother if she could predict her every single move.

“Good morning, Mom.” She threw her phone on the bed and slowly walked toward the bathroom. Since she was monitored, she couldn’t even daydream about the future while sitting on the toilet. She couldn’t wait to be home because then her mother would be busy with other things and pay her no attention once in a while.

“Daiki.” Her mother’s word halted her, but it also sent another pang in her head. “Did he text you last night?”

“Uh… Yes,” she replied, trying to maintain sharp eye contact so her mother couldn’t catch her lies. She had been ignoring the rich heir, and he hadn’t texted her again. If her mother hadn’t mentioned his name, she wouldn’t have even remembered that he existed.

“What did he say?” her mother proceeded with a voice that became chilly.

“He just wished me a good night,” she said.

“And? How did you respond to that?”

“I wished him a good night too. What else could I possibly say to him?”

“Hmm. All right.” Her mother tilted her head toward the bathroom. “Hurry up.”

She gave a weak smile before continuing her short walk, making sure that she locked the door so her mother wouldn’t get in when she came up with some additional questions about Daiki. It probably wouldn’t happen, but she was just too terrified. The breakfast wouldn’t start until eight. Most hotel guests would arrive at nine, but her mother lived like she was constantly chased by hungry lions. It should result from being treated like a princess from birth; her mother never needed to wait to obtain anything she wanted.

Five minutes was the safe amount of time for her to scrub her face, brush her teeth, and finish other required necessities. More than that could prompt a few bangs on her door that would wake up the entire floor, so she left the bathroom as soon as she dried her face and tied her hair up. She wasn’t stupefied when her mother had laid out a light purple shirt and a pair of black trousers on the bed. It always happened every time they were about to meet important people, and some of their family friends did stay in the same hotel.

“My friends and I have arranged an afternoon tea for tomorrow at the Saint Regis. They’ll bring their daughters, so you should come too,” her mother casually mentioned another five-star hotel in Osaka, but that wasn’t the main issue.

“The daughters? Do I happen to know them?” she asked. Even when doing something as basic as removing her clothes, she could feel her mother’s glare penetrate through her back. It was as if she would go to jail if she matched one button wrong.

“You went to the elementary school with some of them, but how could you be familiar with your old friends if you almost never went back home?” Her mother took a deep breath. “Now that you’re here, you must reconnect and get along with them. Building relations is one of your duties as your father’s only child.”

“I suppose,” she flatly responded before sighing herself, soft enough so her mother wouldn’t hear it. For decades, her mother’s affluent circle had made this whole afternoon tea a weekly ritual. It had only been two weeks since she lived back in their house, but it was the first time ever the youngsters were also invited. She didn’t know what to expect from girls who might carry the same old-fashioned belief as Daiki, but it should be more bearable than hanging around any other potential husband.

“We don’t usually bring our daughters with us. Tomorrow is special since everyone wants to meet you. Be at your best. Don’t embarrass me like what you did to the Renzous,” her mother confirmed her guess, but the last two sentences caused her to roll her eyes. It was a good thing that her back was facing the woman, and it was even better that she wasn’t unhinged enough to plan on smearing her family. By all means, she could flip the tables full of expensive handmade desserts and shout at the hotel servers who hadn’t made any mistakes.

They spent the next few minutes packing her belongings into the only small luggage she brought from home. During the entire process, her mother spoke too much about the people she would meet at the afternoon tea. One was the first female CEO of the biggest retail company in Japan, one was a famous real estate investor, and most were pretty socialites who were just there because of their lavish upbringing. Only three of them had known her since her unmarried days.

For the duration of the long speech, she was hoping for it to end. In all likelihood, she wouldn’t sit with the older generation, so she would appreciate it more if the information was about the daughters—perhaps, who among them was the group’s mandatory big mouth and broadcaster. Once again, she got lucky to have her sour facial expression hidden from her mother most of the time. After making sure that she didn’t leave anything behind, they headed to the room next door where her father was.

She sat in one of the two armchairs situated on the corner of the room. Ignoring her mother’s reminder about her father’s upcoming trip to an international event in Kuwait, she chose to play with her phone. It hadn’t been longer than an hour since Atsumu made her heart race from one simple thing, and it happened again when she saw a private message from the man himself, received about five minutes ago. Her eyes widened, and her fingers trembled a little. She thought that she had to be the person initiating it, so this was very unexpected.

 _So you’re the girl from yesterday_ , he had written, ending it with a laughing face. She bit her thumb, contemplating hard on how to respond appropriately. He appeared to be online, so he might have just woken up and been on his way to have breakfast like her. Wouldn’t it be hysterical if his team also stayed in this hotel? She had heard how athletes were given the utmost service like celebrities, so it wouldn’t be weird for the management to provide them with one of the most expensive beds in the city.

 _Yes. Haha._ The thinking was useless because all she could write back were some idiotic syllables. _I’m sorry, but I hope it isn’t weird for me to follow you?_ she added afterward. Before she even blinked once, he had read her messages. It excited her and made her a bit panicky. When was the last time she felt this funny? Probably when she was twelve and admired the most handsome senior in the school. She never imagined herself to be a grown woman who got extremely flustered over a text, regardless of who her partner was.

 _Oh? Were you searching for me?_ he replied. She could picture a proud smirk forming across his face with his head slightly tilting upward. It was an arrogant stance, but it was also the kind of bravery that could destroy her mother’s ego. _Were you not? I must be one of the few hundred people who followed you last night, but you noticed me_ , she revealed her strongest speculation. If anything went wrong, she would say that she was just playing along. _My friends and I asked our advisor about you, so I might search for your name too…?_ His playful explanation caused her to snicker.

“Who are you talking to?” her mother asked, forcing her head to snap up just after she sent “ _we’re on the same boat then”_ to Atsumu.

“Oh, no one important. Just a friend from London,” she said. With one glance, she knew that her mother had hoped to hear Daiki’s name, but she wouldn’t bother lying about it. The last thing she needed was for anyone to assume that she had begun to like Daiki from being all giddy and smiley while communicating with him. It was all Atsumu’s doing, but of course, she couldn’t admit.

“Let’s get going,” her mother continued. That was when she realized that her father had changed to a branded combination of shirt and jacket. His muscular hand gripped a luggage bag bigger than hers because it contained clothes for two people. People who saw him would know that he was a man with some money, but unlike her mother, he never looked too intimidating that nobody would dare to approach him.

“All right.” She smiled, but as soon as her parents started walking out, she looked at her phone again. Atsumu hadn’t answered her message, and she understood if he was a busy person. Her cheeks reddened over the possibility that he tried to text her during his personal affairs, but she wouldn’t be too haughty and make a fool of herself in the future when everything she thought of turned out to be false.

There were only a handful of people in the hallway because mid-November wasn’t a holiday season. Throughout her walk to the elevator, she couldn’t stop gawking at her phone, waiting for Atsumu to read her last message. He was still online, but it could be inaccurate from the weak or delayed signal. He could also be doing other things like scrolling through somebody else’s profile, so what if he was texting some other girl? She didn’t know him well enough to consider him a flirt or not.

“Oh my…” Her mother’s groan caught her attention. She looked at the elevator door, and the scene in front of her was just like a romantic movie. Atsumu stood inside with two muscular men who she hadn’t met before. Their faces were on MSBY’s official website—one of them was the captain—but she couldn’t remember their names or positions. More importantly, she couldn’t believe that her dream would come true if it could even be called one.

She bet her father was informed about the clash, but he didn’t seem to mind anything when he didn’t waste a second to get into the elevator. There wasn’t time for her mother to demand the family to wait for another elevator, so she quietly walked after her husband. As the space was big enough for more than a dozen adults, F/N chose to go in the far corner, positioning herself next to Atsumu, who took his phone out of his trousers at the same time. So chattering with his friends must be the reason he had ignored her for a while.

 _Your mom wants to kill me._ She was thankful that she had her phone on silent mode, so the only sound she should muffle was her own giggle. _Yes. I think she hates you_ , she wrote back. _That’s bad. Will I get fired from my team? Should I bow down and apologize now?_ he asked. She could see his smile from the corner of her eye—an indication that he wasn’t serious at all. _You won’t get fired, so don’t apologize. You did amazing,_ she responded. _Amazing? Does your mom give you a hard time in life?_ She flinched at his random question. Too bad, just before she could answer, they had reached the second floor where their destination was.

“Come,” her mother’s voice cut through the silence after the elevator’s door was slid open. They all should be going to the same restaurant, but she must keep a distance from the volleyball players if she wished for a peaceful breakfast. Since it was impossible for her to say anything out loud to Atsumu, she smiled at him before heading out early.

As she had expected, she was greeted by some of her parents’ friends that led to some small talk. Thankfully, her family chose a table for themselves, so at least she didn’t have to be stuck hearing entrepreneurs’ debate. The place that could accommodate more than four hundred people felt empty. She hadn’t gone far from her seat when she spotted Kiyoomi near the cereal station, Shouyo at the egg station, and Koutarou with his hair down at the table near the entrance. They could have noticed her coming in, but it wasn’t like they could easily talk to each other.

“Ah.” She clenched her hands when she saw Atsumu at the other drink station that was quite far from her table. She looked around to make sure that her mother was nowhere around before she walked to him. “Excuse me… Miya-san?”

He turned around, grinning upon seeing her. “Oh. You _do_ know my name. What’s up?”

Her mind suddenly went blank. What was up with her? Why did she come over? What was she about to tell him? “Uh… Nothing much. I can’t believe that we’re meeting again. What are the odds?” she managed to find the right words, giving him a sheepish giggle afterward. The public speaking class she took a few semesters ago might have helped her a little.

“I agree.” He took a glass from the tray nearby and filled it to the brim with lemon water. “Do you want anything?”

“It’s fine. I’ll get some later. I just wanted to say hi to you and ensure that everything’s okay between us,” she said.

“Huh?” He frowned. “Has something happened?”

“Our meeting last night was kind of absurd, wasn’t it?” she asked.

“Hmm. Nothing’s wrong with our meeting, but let me get this straight.” He sipped his drink once before continuing, “You’re the daughter of MSBY’s president. Are you also a manager in one of the divisions?”

She chuckled. “That was a quick lie I made on the spot because I don’t like telling strangers who I really am. I’m currently unemployed.”

“Why?” His neutral response was definitely a breath of fresh air. Other people would be confused and advised her to ask her father for a high position in the company. Based on how he handled her mother yesterday, she had anticipated the understanding from him.

“It’s only been two weeks since I finished school, so I’m still trying to figure things out,” she answered. “Enough about me, Miya-san. I’ve never been into sports, but perhaps I can start by watching Black Jackals? Who knows if I might enjoy volleyball?”

“We’re actually in the middle of a national tournament now. Our next game will be in Oita. You can check the full schedule online,” he explained.

“Is that so? Then I’ll do it soon,” she said as her gaze gradually dropped to the floor. “I should go back now, but… can I text you again?”

His snicker made her blush. “Why not?” he replied. “But you haven’t answered my previous question. Although I don’t think it’s the case, you behave like an imprisoned girl who lives with a step-mother who only wants to use her. It’s amusing to watch, honestly.”

“Haha, it truly isn’t like that.” She glanced up, eyes meeting his again. “My mother is too protective of me. It’s stressful at times, but maybe it’ll get better once I get married. Right now, there isn’t much for me to do.”

“So you have to be married before you’re free from her?” He genuinely looked baffled by her statement. “I can’t believe that we’re at the end of 2020. Is that how the riches live?”

She laughed again. “All right. I must go back before she comes and fights you again. I wish you a wonderful day, Miya-san.”

“The next time we meet, it won’t be a coincidence,” he firmly announced.

Her heartbeat went faster, but she managed to prevent herself from being lost in emotion and nodded her head a few times. “Yes. I agree.”

The journey back to the other side of the restaurant felt longer than before. Half of her mind was dazed by how easy their conversation went, while the other half began planning a way to visit Oita. Back in London, her mother couldn’t keep a close watch on her every movement because they were thousands of miles apart. While her mother would still allow her to travel around alone now that she was here, she would need to know more details before giving a yes. The best way was to lie about it. Could somebody from the afternoon tea be a help?

“Did you enjoy talking to that volleyball player?” her mother questioned once she put a glass of orange juice and a plate of roasted potatoes and mini sausages on the table. Perhaps she should have starved and gone back quicker.

“You saw me,” she deadpanned after sitting down across from her parents. Although she sounded like it wouldn’t affect her, she prayed for her mother to not be in the right mood for a scolding. It would only turn the tasty meat into bitterness.

“Of course, I did. My eyeballs were and are still intact,” her mother replied, putting down her fork on the edge of her plate. “What is it with you? Do you have a crush on him because you think fate has brought the two of you together from the encounter at the party last night and again in the elevator this morning? Moreover, I must admit, he’s tall and looks quite nice.”

 _Height and attractiveness. Two things that your friend’s son wasn’t born with_ , she thought, but all that came from her mouth was a light chuckle. “Why does it have to be a crush, Mom? Am I not allowed to befriend a volleyball player?”

Her mother shrugged. “Probably.”

“Is it because they’re struggling athletes? What does it even mean?” she asked.

“How old is Miya Atsumu? Twenty-five? Twenty-six? Athletes reach their peaks when they’re in their mid-twenties, and most will retire after they hit thirty. Some of them will be a coach, but just how many teams need a new coach every year? They’ll probably start a small business or train a local high school team. How much do you think they earn from doing so? Do they have enough savings to live extravagantly after their retirement? I don’t need to explain this to you, don’t you—”

“What’s with this silly talk? Finish your food in silence,” her father growled, and he only did it when the situation around him was getting too much. Not to make it worse, she and her mother sealed their lips and looked the opposite way. She was grateful for the interference because if it weren’t for it, who knew for how long the mockery would last? A big part of her wanted to get even closer to Atsumu and his team just so she could hurt her mother on purpose.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!

* * *

On the train ride back to Osaka, F/N didn’t speak to her mother, and she was already familiar with the pattern. After every petty fight they had, her mother would ignore her until she calmed down and thought of needing a daughter again. Sometimes it lasted for several hours. A few times, it would take days, like whenever F/N refused to fly back to Japan for something frivolous like attending a cousin’s birthday party. Truthfully, she would rather be treated this way than troubled with stupid talks.

 _Miya-san, my mom is mad at me_ , she texted Atsumu after sitting alone in the middle area, away from her parents, who were in the front with some acquaintances that they met again. There weren’t many passengers inside—perhaps because they booked Nozomi, the country’s fastest bullet train that would bring them from Nagoya to Osaka in under an hour. That said, it also became one of the most high-priced services that ordinary citizens wouldn’t bother choosing.

 _What happened?_ Atsumu’s response came about five minutes later. The first thing that popped into her mind was how she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She couldn’t be too honest about how her mother scorned his career and future, even if she disagreed with everything. _She saw me speak to you during breakfast. She doesn’t like it when I talk to people she doesn’t personally know_ , was all that she wrote to him. _She personally knows me now, so want to try it out again later?_ As always, his nonchalance made her laugh.

 _What are you doing now?_ she changed the subject since there was no benefit in weighing up her mother’s hostility any further. _I’ll go to JR Central Towers with my team. We’ll head back to Osaka in the evening. How about you?_ he provided a detailed answer. It might not mean a thing, but she still thought it was nice of him to give her a heads-up. _I’m on the train back home. You won’t directly go to Oita?_ she asked. _No. We’ll practice until Thursday night and fly to Oita on Friday morning_ , he explained it thoroughly one more time.

She remembered that his team was based in Osaka, but she didn’t know the district, nor did she think of looking it up. _You mentioned that your team is based in Osaka. Where is it exactly?_ she got brave enough to ask. _Higashiosaka,_ he said, and she stretched the corners of her mouth. _I live in Tennoji Ward_ , she proceeded. _Why am I not surprised?_ His response wasn’t her favorite because he should have remarked about the two places that were only thirty minutes away from each other by car.

 _I suppose you can watch our practices anytime you want_ , he added not even ten seconds later. She almost believed that he did realize it but deemed it was unnecessary to comment on it, so she felt stupid for letting negativity get into her head. _Yes, I think so!_ she happily responded. _Anyway, I need to go now. I’ll catch up with you later,_ he continued. _Okay. Please enjoy your walk. Take care,_ she sent back. He only replied with “likewise”, and that was the end of their morning text.

She sighed as she leaned back in her seat, hand gripping her unbuttoned autumn coat. The conversation didn’t last long, but the irritation in her chest had subsided. If she knew that talking to Atsumu would make her feel at ease, she would have done it right after leaving the restaurant. Now she must wait until it was proper for her to contact him again, or maybe she should let him take the lead like what happened before. Recalling his upcoming game in Oita, she straightened her back and went to look for his team’s schedule on the internet.

“Our volleyball team needs a general affairs supervisor. I mean, I think they’ve always needed one. The boys are out of control sometimes, and one manager isn’t enough to handle them. Do you know someone good with this kind of thing?”

Among the dialogues exchanged around, one subject stood out more than the rest. She rose just to make sure that she registered the voice right, and her estimation was correct when she spotted MSBY Black Jackals’ senior advisor sitting next to her parents. The fact that the Renzou family wasn’t here was amazing enough until she didn’t pay attention to the other people getting onto the train. Her mind was also too preoccupied with her mother’s overplaying.

“Call the human resources department,” her father gave the most sensible advice. She didn’t know which angel or devil that slipped into her brain, but she suddenly thought of a wonderful idea.

Clenching her fists, she left her seat and headed toward the three elders. “I’m sorry, but I heard everything,” she began, making them lift their heads and stare at her. “What if I take the job to be their general affairs supervisor?”

“What?” Of course, her mother was the first one who reacted. “Have you lost your—”

“I didn’t expect this at all,” the senior interjected—most likely not on purpose—before glancing at her father. “What do you think?”

“Don’t ask me. It’s her who’s going to take the job,” her father said.

“No, no. You don’t understand,” her mother quickly objected, and she could feel her head starting to boil. “She does things without thinking of the consequences. How could she maintain a professional volleyball team when she has no idea about the sport at all? Please ignore her words. Probably she only wants to get closer to Miya Atsumu, one of your players.”

“Oh?” The senior advisor raised his brows, looking at her again. “Miya Atsumu? Do you have a crush on him?”

She wanted to turn around just to roll her eyes, but she couldn’t, so she opted to shake her head several times and smiled. “I’m unemployed, as you may have already known, and I’m used to traveling a lot. I’m aware that athletes _do_ travel a lot, and I can do some paperwork. I’m perfect for the job. This job is perfect for me.”

After a short pause, her mother gritted her teeth. “You don’t make any sense. There are plenty of other more rewarding opportunities waiting for you.”

 _Like going to a spa every day until I marry a rich guy?_ she thought, but obviously, it was something that she could never state out loud. “Dad, I’ll do it,” she said, giving her father a look of assurance.

Her mother groaned. “Don’t be silly!”

“Shut it. You never give her freedom until she grows up not having a single clue on what to do with her life,” her father sternly told her mother, causing another silence between them. “Don’t you realize? This is the first time she actually asks us for a job. What she just said about the whole traveling thing was true, so let her be. Isn’t it better than seeing her waste her life doing nothing inside her bedroom?”

She felt triumphant when her mother couldn’t retaliate against the scolding and looked away. The sensation was almost similar to what happened with Atsumu, so perhaps all she wanted was someone to defend her. “Thank you for understanding, Dad. I’ll do my best.” She smirked, but too bad, her mother didn’t see it.

“Great, then. I’ll take care of it and give you a call in a day or two. Please give me your number.” The senior advisor took his phone out of his jacket, unlocked it, and handed it to her. “We’re actually in the middle of a nationwide volleyball tournament called the V.League. We’ll go to Oita this Friday, so you might want to come with us.”

“Yes. I’m aware of the competition going on at the moment,” she said as she typed down her number. After making sure that she didn’t miss a thing, she gave the phone back to the man.

“Are you? Did Atsumu tell you?” His frankness caught her off guard, and his grin was proof that he was poking fun at her. But then a light slap on her mother’s shoulder made it clear that the one he wanted to tease was none other than the older woman herself. Even when they were in their sixties, it didn’t mean that they had lost the ability to joke around.

“I’ll be waiting for your call. Thank you.” Without confirming or denying the question about Atsumu, she bowed slightly and walked back to her place.

As she sat down and looked out of the window for the bright cityscape, she began smiling and squeezing the phone in her hand. This wasn’t the craziest thing she had done in life because there were times when she got drunk in Regent’s Park and had troubles with the coppers. This wasn’t the bravest thing either since she had faked some overseas trips when her mother wanted to visit her apartment in London. If she had to crown this case, it would be the most absurd since she had only known MSBY Black Jackals for less than a day.

Ten minutes hadn’t passed since the last time she texted Atsumu. She didn’t doubt that he would understand the reason behind her action—most likely, he would cackle at her using his team to mess around with her mother. Still, it would be creepy to tell him about the news out of nowhere. Although the job was guaranteed, she must at least wait until he returned to Osaka so she wouldn’t look like a desperate fangirl with hidden problematic purposes.

After being lost in thoughts for a while, she opened her phone and scrunched up her nose when she found a new message from Daiki. _Good morning. Your mom told my mom that you’re going home this morning. I’m waiting for my flight to Tokyo, then I’ll go to my office. Should I visit you in Osaka sometime soon?_ She groaned because she simply didn’t care about any of these. If he hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have remembered that Renzou Holdings was headquartered in Tokyo.

It would be bad to keep ignoring him, so with a heavy heart, she had to respond. _Yes. Take care_ , she wrote back, obviously skipping his last question. Normal people would give up if they were treated coldly, and she hoped Daiki wasn’t a numb idiot who brushed aside all the red flags she had shown him since last night. _You take care too. Have you visited Tokyo lately?_ She snickered at his effort to rephrase the invitation for another meeting with her. Maybe he wasn’t a complete moron with zero experience, but she had lost interest again.

She read some webcomics until the train stopped at Shin-Osaka Station. A personal chauffeur picked her family up, and her mother only spoke to her father occasionally. It had gotten cold in Osaka, but most people didn’t worry about wearing gloves because light snowfall would only arrive in late December, which was more than a month away from now. When passing by the busy straight road halving the Central Ward of Osaka, she couldn’t help but miss the serene green fields surrounding her old campus.

“Are you sure you aren’t going to rest first?” her mother, who had been sitting beside her on the passenger seats while pretending like she didn’t exist, asked her father.

“It’s all good. I have important matters to attend,” her father said. She glanced at him once before turning again. It would be hard to express her current wish without insulting someone, but she would be happier if her father could be home during dinner so she didn’t have to sit alone with her mother. Sadly, the occasion didn’t happen as frequently as breakfast since her father always preferred to spend the night drinking with his coworkers.

Despite being in the middle of Osaka, Shinpoincho was a peaceful neighborhood from being hidden among the bustling skyscrapers and terminals. Most of the houses were painted in pale colors and a century old, and hers was built by her great-grandfather who established MSBY Motor Corporation in the early nineteen-hundreds. Recently, she was informed that the area had become the most expensive land in the prefecture. It was quite unbelievable considering none of them had a massive front yard with gardens and fountains like what one would picture as “rich people residence”.

The chauffeur dropped her and her mother off in the house before continuing the ride to her father’s workplace. Two live-in housekeepers had been waiting outside the gate to take care of the travel bags. Their three-story house could accommodate up to a dozen people, but there were only six of them, including her father and another housekeeper who should be somewhere inside. Her mother also had her own chauffeur, but he lived elsewhere just like her father’s driver.

Instead of following her mother to the kitchen, she headed to the garage on the left wing and picked the key of her favorite small SUV. Using the remote control on the dashboard, she opened the garage door and drove away at normal speed. It would look so much cooler to race straight like she was in a movie, but the quiet roads had made some kids carelessly run around. She would rather marry Daiki or someone weirder than accidentally hit any of them.

Tennoji Ward didn’t lack anything, but she didn’t slow down until entering Higashisumiyoshi Ward. It took her about twenty-five minutes and eight pop songs from the car radio to pull up in front of a famous phone store across Nagai Park. Besides her own, there were only three other cars in the parking lot and about ten bicycles on the other side. Since she was in a middle-end shopping street, the passengers might not even have the same destination as her.

“Welcome! How may I help you today?” a young sales assistant greeted her as soon as she stepped into the building. She smiled at him and walked to one of the white counters that displayed all the available phones.

The one she currently used was only six-month-old. Usually, her favorite series would release a new type in spring, but she didn’t need to be thrifty because her family’s money was basically infinite. Before the sales assistant had the chance to recommend anything, she pointed toward a newer phone that was cheaper than what she had. “Can I get this?” she asked.

“Of course. Please follow me,” the sales assistant said before heading to the sales counter. After F/N sat on one of the chairs, he showed her a pamphlet of the plans she could choose. Once again, she went with the most expensive option because it didn’t really matter.

As she waited for the sales assistant to go to the storage and prepare everything for her, she opened her phone. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a notification from Atsumu—Daiki was still there, but she would turn a blind eye. _Are you really going to work with us?_ the message was from fifteen minutes ago when she was still driving. _Did the senior advisor tell you?_ she replied. _Yes_ , as if he had been waiting for her, he went online in an instant. A second later, he sent some screenshots to prove that he wasn’t lying at all.

The senior advisor did leave a simple message about her decision to become their first general affairs supervisor in history, but he also wrote her full name. Koutarou immediately asked if “the daughter of our CEO is okay with doing personal assistant jobs for us”. The senior advisor called him out and said that she was kindhearted for not minding a low-level position because she overheard their struggles on the train back home. She thought the exchanges were hilarious, so she wasn’t insulted by how Koutarou perceived her personality.

“Miss, please review the contract.” The assistant sales came back, forcing her to put her phone down and read the paper placed on the counter. As she made sure that everything was correct, she grabbed her wallet from her coat pocket and took out her driver’s license as an ID verification, credit card, and personal seal.

“It’s all good.” She grabbed her seal, stamped on the lower part of the contract, and thrust the paper closer to the sales assistant who started unboxing the phone.

“Please sign it as well,” he reminded her.

“Oh. Right,” she awkwardly murmured. It had been forever since the last time she bought a phone in Japan, so she forgot that the value of her small stamp wasn’t enough, so she must also leave a signature. “Here,” she said after signing on top of the red circle.

The sales assistant showed her that all the phone features were working properly. She might have gone a bit crazy because she never wanted something to end so badly so she could continue talking to Atsumu. What took five minutes felt like five hours, so she rushed her way out of the shop after paying with her credit card and shoving her important belongings back inside her pocket. She walked to the car with little skips on her steps as one of her hands was busy typing to Atsumu.

 _I didn’t expect the senior advisor to tell any of you. He said that he would take care of the papers before giving me a call in a few days. I hope no one in your team thinks strangely of me because we just met last night, and suddenly this happens. I admit, I did it on a whim, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t take the job seriously,_ she explained. _Don’t overthink. Welcome to the team. What was your mom’s reaction?_ he replied swiftly again. _She got pissed, but my dad had my back,_ she said. _Nice,_ he responded.

Behind the wheel, she took a deep breath before continuing, _I just bought a new phone specifically for the job, so I won’t be bothered by other things._ The way he went offline a few times made her anxious, but he came back on and replied, _Do you want to move to LINE?_ Her face heated up, and her body shivered ever so slightly. She didn’t expect him to offer such a thing because going on a private application seemed too intimate for people who could barely call each other “friends”, but of course, she wouldn’t refuse.

Barely thirty seconds after she gave him her ID, he already added her profile and left a, “Hi, I’m still walking around the mall. Let’s talk again later”. She chuckled and drove out of the parking lot. There wasn’t much to do in the city, and she didn’t have close groups she would love to hang out with. With help from the internet, she stopped by a tiny café two blocks away from the phone store. She would spend time playing some games and speaking more with Atsumu when he was available until dinner time in about six hours from now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I researched all the places mentioned in this chapter (I always do that actually :3) so they should be accurate. 😉

**Author's Note:**

> Read the xOC version [here](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13771303/1/Old-Town-Blues).  
> Feel free to follow [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/itsmakimono/).


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